Modular cabinet structure



Oct. 10, 1967 K. s. MORKOKA ETAL 3,346,316

MODULAR CABINET STRUCTURE Filed April 9, 19 s 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VENTOR.

KENNETH s. MORIOKAY KAZUO GOTO I a 5 (LP-4C "117 ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1967 K. s. MORIOKA ETAL 3,346,316

MODULAR CABINET STRUCTURE I Filed April 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Vfll IN VENTOR.

KENNETH S. MORIOKA BY KAZUO GOTO ATTORNEY" United States Patent 3,346,316 MODULAR CABINET STRUCTURE Kenneth S. Morioka and Kazuo Goto, both of 2054 University Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 947 04 Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 446,858 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-257) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A modular wall cabinet adapted to be assembled at the site of use comprising a back panel having a top rail and a bottom rail and being adapted to be attached to a wall for hanging of the cabinet. Divider panels are attached to the back panel top and bottom rails by dowels such that these divider panels are held projecting at substantially right angles from the back panel. A top front rail is attached by dowels to the top front part of the divider panels and a bottom shelf is positioned under the divider panels and is held in this position by tongue and groove means which engages the bottom rail of the back panel and the bottom parts of vertical members attached to the front edges of the divider panels.

This invention relates to modular cabinets that may be readily assembled at the location where they are to be installed and used.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved modular cabinet structure that is adapted to be assembled on the wall of a kitchen or similar room were it is to be installed and used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved modular cabinet structure in which space is provided in one of the modules for receiving a kitchen appliance such as a stove.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved modular cabinet structure that is assembled from prefabricated panel members that are held assembled by dowels or the like provided to selected ones of the members, the others of said members being provided either with holes previously drilled or with legends indicating positions where holes are to be drilled during the assembly of the cabinet structure to provide modules or compartments of selected sizes.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawing, briefly:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view partially in section of a modular cabinet structure of this invention providing a module or compartment for receiving a kitchen appliance such as an electric stove or the like;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view partially in section showing a wall type modular cabinet construction;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail view showing one of the shelf support and stile tie members;

FIG. 6 is a detail view showing the shelf support and stile tie member shown in FIG. 5 being assembled with the bottom back rail of the wall cabinet; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the bottom shelf of the wall cabinet attached to the rear lower rail by a tongue and groove joint, and also showing this shelf positioned in a groove in the lower part of the front framing member of the divider panel.

Referring to the drawing in detail, reference numeral 10 designates the bottom member of the cabinet structure 3,346,316 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 and this member is provided with a front row of holes 11 which are spaced equally with and aligned with the holes 12 of a rear row. The holes 11 are spaced by equal distances and form a row which is parallel to the front edge of the bottom 10. The holes 12, likewise, are equally spaced and form a row parallel to the rear edge of the bottom 10. Also, the holes 11 are aligned with the holes 12 so that when the dowels provided to the bottom members of the divider panels 13 and 14 are positioned in aligned holes of the front and rear rows, these divider panels are positioned transversely across the bottom 10 and substantially at right angles to the forward and rear edges thereof. In this respect the construction of this modular cabinet is the same as that shown in our application Ser. No. 234,445 filed Oct. 31, 1962 for Modular Cabinet Structure now US. Patent No. 3,178,245.

The side members 13b and 13a of the divider panel 13, and members 14b and 14c of divider panel 14 are each provided with holes which are equally spaced and which are aligned so that the shelf 15, which is provided with dowels such as the dowel 15a in each of the four corner areas thereof, may be supported parallel to the bottom 10 when the dowels thereof are positioned in aligned holes of the members 13b13c and 14b14c of the divider panels 13 and 14, respectively. The holes in these members are provided at different levels so that the shelf 15 may be positioned at a selected level. Thus, the space between the shelves 15 and 16, which is provided for receiving the oven or other kitchen appliance, may be adjusted to receive such appliance. This may be done either by raising or lowering the shelf 15 or by raising or lowering the shelf 16. The shelf 16 is constructed the same as shelf 15 and it is provided with dowels such as the dowel 16a at each of the corner areas. The dowels of shelf 16 are adapted to be received by aligned holes formed in the upright members 17, 18, 19 and 20 so that shelf 16 is parallel with shelf 15.

The bottom end of upright member 17 rests on the top frame member 13d of panel 13 and a uitable dowel may be attached to this top frame member to extend up into this upright member. Also, both the forward frame member 13c and panel 13 and upright member 17 are provided with tongues that fit into the groove formed in the back of the front member 21. Thus, when the tongues of members and 17 are inserted into this groove of member 21, the members 13c and 17 are held in alignment. Likewise, the forward part of panel frame member and upright member 19 are provided with tongues which are adapted to be received in a suitable groove formed in the back side of front member 22 which functions to hold these members 140 and 19 in alignment when the tongues thereof are assembled in this groove.

The bottom ends of the upright members 17, 18, 19 and 20 are provided with suitable dowel pins which extend into holes formed in the top horizontal members of the panels 13 and 14. Thus, the bottom dowel of upright member 17 extends into the forward end portion of the horizontal member 13d and the bottom dowel of upright member 18 extends into holes formed in the rear end of this member 13d through a suitable hole formed in the horizontal rear rail 23. Likewise, the bottom dowel of upright member 19 extends into the forward end portion of horizontal member 14d through a suitable hole formed in the front horizontal rail 25. The members 23 and 25 are provided with spaced holes 27 and 28, respectively, and these holes are spaced the same as the holes 11 and 12 provided to the bottom member 10 and are aligned therewith. These holes 27 and 28 are provided for the purpose of receiving the dowel pins provided to the top frame members such as the frame members 13d and 14a of the divider panels 13 and 14. These dowels :3 maybe made long enough so that they extend up into holes formed in the bottom ends of the upright members 17, 18, 1 9 and 20, if desired, as shown in broken outline in FIG. 2. t

7 Thus, in assembling the cabinet structure shown in FIG. 1', the bottom is placed upon suitable rails such as 2 X 4s which function as supports thereof, as shown and described in our prior application referred to above, and the divider panels 13 and 14am erected on this bottom member by inserting the bottom dowels of these bottom member 10 so that these divider panels extend transversely across the bottom and are spaced by the desired distance which is determined by the width of the appliance to be positioned inside of the cabinet structure. The shelf is then positioned between the panels 13 and 14 and the dowels for supporting this shelf are inserted into the selected holes of the upright members 13b and 130 of panel 13, and upright members 14b and 14c of panel 14.

Before the divider panels 13 and 14 are erected on the bottom 10, the front members 21 and 22 are assembled with these divider panels respectively by inserting the tongues of the front frame members 136 and 140 into the grooves of the members 21 and 22, rspectivelyQAlso,

at the same time the upright member 17 is assembled with the member'21 by inserting the tongue thereof into thereof into the groove of member 22. In this case, however, the member 19 is not completely assembled with member 22 inasmuch as a gap must be left between the top frame member 14d of panel 14 and the bottom end of member 19 for receiving the horizontal rail 25.

The panels 13 and 14 are now attached to the bottom 10 by inserting the bottom dowels of these panels into the selected holes 11 and 12 of the bottom, as previously described. Since the divider panel 13 is positioned at the end of the bottom 10, the dowel-s thereof will be inserted into the end holes of the rows. The divider panel 14, however, is spaced from panel 13 by a distance determined by the width of the kitchen appliance to be positioned in the cabinet structure, and the dimension of the shelf 15 which is to support the appliance is determined by this appliance width. 7

The shelf 15 is next assembled in the cabinet structure by inserting the dowels into the selected holes of upright panel members 13b and 130 and 14b and 140. Thereafter, the horizontal rail is positioned on the top of the horizontal member 14d of panel 14 and the upright member 19 is brought down on the top of member 25. A dowel is provided in the bottom of upright member '19 to assemble this upright member and horizontal member 25 with the top frame member 14d of panel 14, as

shown in FIG. 2. Similar dowels maybe employed for holding the upright members 18 and 20 on the top of the back rail 23. The shelf 16 is then assembled with the cabinet structure by inserting suitable dowels into selected holes of panels covers the entire side of the cabinet structure including the side of the compartment in which thekitchen appliance is positioned, and the front edge of this panel abuts the rear of the upright member 21 and covers'the holes in member 136 and upright member 17. The holes in upright member 18 and panel member 13b are also covered by this outside panel. The other outside panel is attached to the outside surfaces of upright members 19 and 20 also by screws or the like, and the front edge of this outside panel abuts the rear surface of the upright member 22. These side'panels give rigidity to the cabinet 10 divider panels into the selected holes 11 and 12 of the structure so that it is strong enough to support the kitchen appliance.

Suitable doors may be provided to the bottom compartment below the appliance and also to the compartment above the appliance. Also, additional cabinet structure such as is positioned to the right of divider panel 14 may be extended from the left of divider panel 13, if desired.

In FIGS. 3 to 7 there is illustrated a wall cabinet structure that is provided with a back panel having a top rail or frame member 31 and lower rail or frame member 33 which are attached to the wall of the kitchen. The

top frame member 31 is provided with a groove for receiving the tongue of the member 32 which extends forward from the member 31 and is provided with a row of spaced holes 32a for receiving the upper rear dowels 34a of the divider panels 34. The bottom frame member 33 of the back panel is also provided with holes 33a which are spaced the same as holes 32a of member 32tand are aligned therewith. The holes 33a are provided for selected holes 33a and the panels 34 extend transversely across the back panel 30. Each of the divider panels 34 is provided with a front member 37 that is attached thereto by a tongue and groove joint. These front members 37 extend almost to the top of the panels 34 and they abut the bottom surface of thetmember 36 which is attached by a tongue and groovetjoint to the front edge of the top rail 35. The rail 35 is provided with a row of holes 35a corresponding to the row of holes 32a in the back rail 32 and aligned therewithfThus, after the divider panels 34 are positioned with the lower dowels 34c thereof in the member 33 and the upper dowels 34a thereof in holes 32a of rail 32, the rail 35 may be placed on the front upper corners of the divider panels 34so that the dowels 34b thereof are positioned in the selected holes 35a of this rail to hold the panels parallel to each other.

The bottom shelf 38 is then lifted up against the bottom edges of the divider panels 34 and supported in this position by the shelf support and stile ties 39 which are inserted under each of the divider panels 34. These ties 39 are provided withtongues 39a and 39b at the ends thereof, as shown in FIG. 5. The upper surface of tongue 39a is rounded off so that this tongue may be inserted ward end of the tie, as shown in FIG. 6, and thereafter sliding the tie into position under the shelf 38 and divider panel 34 so that the tongue 39b is inserted into a' groove formed in the lower part of the front member 37 of the divider panel. Suitable dowels 34d are inserted through the ties 39, shelf 38, into the bottoms of the divider panels 34. Also, suitable doors (not shown) may be attached by hinges to the front members 37 of the divider panels. An end panel shown in broken outline may be attached to the end of the cabinet by suitable screws or the like, and a top paneLshown also in broken outline, may be attached to the top rails 38 and 35 by suitable screws. However, if the top of the cabinet abuts the room ceiling, the top panel is not necessary.

The holes provided'to the side menibeifs'13b and 13c of the divider panel 13 and corresponding members of divider panel 14 may be numbered starting at the lower part of each of these members so that the holes corresponding to the selected heights on the front and rear of these divider panels may be quickly selected during the assembly of the cabinet structure. Likewise, the holes in row 11 and row 12 of the bottom member 10 may be numbered starting at the left hand end of the bottom and continuing toward the right hand end so that aligned holes may be readily selected. The holes in rows 32a, 33a

and 35a of members 32, 33 and 35, respectively, may

also be numbered starting at the left hand end thereof so that corresponding or aligned holes in these members may be readily selected. On the other hand, the holes in the various members may be eliminated and center punch marks may be substituted therefor. These center punch marks may be numbered the same as the holes, as previously described, so that they may be identified readily and holes drilled at the marks selected for receiving the dowels. Furthermore, perforated pressure adhesive tape having perforations thereon spaced predetermined distances may be substituted for the holes drilled in these members or for the center punch marks provided thereto, and this pressure adhesive tape may be applied to the members 13b and 130 of divider panel 13 and members 14b and 140 of divider panel 14. Similar perforated pressure adhesive tape may be applied to the front and rear edges of the bottom in place of the drilled holes 11 and 12 and also in the members 32, 33 and 35 of the wall cabinet shown in FIG. 3. Thus, in the case of each divider panel 13 and 14, two short tapes may be provided and these tapes may be attached to the members 13b and 130 and 14b and 140 of these panels, respectively, starting at the bottom edge of the panel and applying the tape toward the top so that the holes of the tapes are aligned, and after the desired height of the shelf 15 is determined, then the selected holes are drilled through the perforations in the tapes. Similar tapes may be provided to the bottom 10, and these tapes may be attached to the bottom starting at the left hand end and proceeding toward the right. Likewise, in the case of the rail members 32, 33 and 35 of the wall cabinet shown in FIG. 3, suitable perforated tapes may be attached to these members starting at the left hand end and proceeding to the right so that the perforations of these tapes are aligned. The advantage of using such tapes is that only holes that are actually used are drilled into the respective members, and also the tapes being attached by pressure sensitive adhesive may be removed after the positions of the holes are selected and the holes drilled for the divider panels.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by th scope of the claims appended hereto.

What we claim is:

1. In a modular wall cabinet that is adapted to be supported in elevated position on the wall, said cabinet being adapted to be assembled at the site of use from previously designed parts joined by friction joints to provide modules of different sizes in the cabinet, the combination comprising a back panel adapted to be attached to a wall for hanging of the cabinet in elevated position, said back panel having a top rail projecting therefrom and a bottom rail parallel to the top rail, said top rail and said bottom rail each having a row of substantially equally spaced dowel receiving holes, said rows being parallel and the holes of said top rail being aligned with the holes of said bottom rail, a plurality of divider panels, each of said divider panels having a top dowel adapted to be positioned in a hole in said top rail, each of said divider panels also having a lower dowel on the rear thereof near the bottom thereof, said dowels being spaced such that they may be placed only in a pair of aligned holes of said top rail and said bottom rail so that said divider panels cannot be attached to said back panel in any position other than at substantially right angles thereto and at predetermined distances apart, said dowels providing interlocking means between said divider panel and said rails when they are positioned in said pair of aligned holes such that said top dowel holds the top of the divider panel from swinging forward away from said back panel, said lower dowel holds the divider panel from sliding downward with respect to said back panel, and both of said dowels restrain the divider panel from moving upward with respect to the back panel when said back panel is attached to said wall, a top front rail, means supporting said last mentioned rail on the forward parts of the tops of said divider panels comprising dowels in the tops of said divider panels near the front edges thereof engaging said top front rail in a row of dowel receiving holes that are spaced the same as the holes in said first mentioned rails, a bottom shelf positioned under said divider panels and means associated with said bottom rail and said divider panels supporting said shelf in said position.

2. In a modular wall cabinet as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said means for supporting said bottom shelf comprises stile ties positioned under said divider panels and engaging vertical members attached t0 the fronts of said divider panels, each of said stile ties comprising a horizontal member having means at the rear end thereof attaching it to said back panel and also having means at the front end thereof attaching it to the bottom part of one of the vertical members.

3. In a modular wall cabinet as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said holes are in each case provided to removable strips having means attaching said strips to said rails, whereby said dowel receiving holes are adapted to be drilled through said respective rails after the locations of the dowel receiving holes are selected on said strips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 983,116 1/1911 Billstone 312257 1,290,782 1/ 1919 Reigersberg 312107 2,708,859 5/1955 Adashek 211-184 2,885,091 5/1959 Van Pelt 211184 3,178,245 4/1965 Morioka et al. 312257 3,272,581 9/1966 Stucki 312234.4

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner. J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A MODULAR WALL CABINET THAT IS ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED IN ELEVATED POSITION ON THE WALL, SAID CABINET BEING ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED AT THE SITE OF USE FROM PREVIOUSLY DESIGNED PARTS JOINED BY FRICTION JOINTS TO PROVIDE MODULES OF DIFFERENT SIZES IN THE CABINET, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A BACK PANEL ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A WALL FOR HANGING OF THE CABINET IN ELEVATED POSITION, SAID BACK PANEL HAVING A TOP RAIL PROJECTING THEREFROM AND A BOTTOM RAIL PARALLEL TO THE TOP RAIL, SAID TOP RAIL AND SAID BOTTOM RAIL EACH HAVING A ROW OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED DOWEL RECEIVING HOLES, SAID ROWS BEING PARALLEL AND THE HOLES OF SAID TOP RAIL BEING ALIGNED WITH THE HOLES OF SAID BOTTOM RAIL, A PLURALITY OF DIVIDER PANELS, EACH OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS HAVING A TOP DOWEL ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN A HOLE IN SAID TOP RAIL, EACH OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS ALSO HAVING A LOWER DOWEL ON THE REAR THEREOF NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID DOWELS BEING SPACED SUCH THAT THEY MAY BE PLACED ONLY IN A PAIR OF ALIGNED HOLES OF SAID TOP RAIL AND SAID BOTTOM RAIL SO THAT SAID DIVIDER PANELS CANNOT BE ATTACHED TO SAID BACK PANEL IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND AT PREDETERMINED DISTANCES APART, SAID DOWELS PROVIDING INTERLOCKING MEANS BETWEEN SAID DIVIDER PANEL AND SAID RAILS WHEN THEY ARE POSITIONED IN SAID PAIR OF ALIGNED HOLES SUCH THAT SAID TOP DOWEL HOLDS THE TOP OF THE DIVIDER PANEL FROM SWINGING FORWARD AWAY FROM SAID BACK PANEL, SAID LOWER DOWEL HOLDS THE DIVIDER PANEL FROM SLIDING DOWNWARD WITH RESPECT TO SAID BACK PANEL, AND BOTH OF SAID DOWELS RESTRAIN THE DIVIDER PANEL FROM MOVING UPWARD WITH RESPECT TO THE BACK PANEL WHEN SAID BACK PANEL IS ATTACHED TO SAID WALL, A TOP FRONT RAIL, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID LAST MENTIONED RAIL ON THE FORWARD PARTS OF THE TOPS OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS COMPRISING DOWELS IN THE TOPS OF SAID DIVIDER PANELS NEAR THE FRONT EDGES THEREOF ENGAGING SAID TOP FRONT RAIL IN A ROW OF DOWEL RECEIVING HOLES THAT ARE SPACED THE SAME AS THE HOLES IN SAID FIRST MENTIONED RAILS, A BOTTOM SELF POSITIONED UNDER SAID DIVIDER PANELS AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BOTTOM RAIL AND SAID DIVIDER PANELS SUPPORTING SAID SHELF IN SAID POSITION. 